In God (Save the Queen) We Trust: Mr. Henry on Kingdom Keys and Citizenship

There are not many times in my life that I would tell you that “God spoke to me”. But I really do believe that this was one of those occasions:

As I stood in this small town university’s bookstore, I fumbled around in my pockets hoping I had enough change to walk out of there with some piece of life-changing literature. I don’t even remember what I was trying to buy or why I was so desperate to make this purchase that I was down to counting my last nickels and dimes (yes, we actually used “money” back then, remember those days?). I looked down in my hand and saw my old friends: George Washington, FDR, Thomas Jefferson, all the usual suspects. Then I happened upon a newcomer, a woman. I had no idea who she is. I stared at this copper coin for a moment trying to figure out if the U.S. had issued a new penny. Then I flipped it over and saw the maple leaf.

That’s when my God-moment happened. I didn’t hit the floor of feel any particular wave of divine energy. I just heard “voice” – more like, a gentle impression – that spoke deep within me. “Do you know what Andre,” this gentle Presence whispered to me, “that Canadian penny your holding is ‘holy’.”

There is no lesson I’ve learned about what it means to be a Kingdom citizen that has impacted me as much as that moment. That Canadian penny was among other forms of currency in my hand, yet remained intrinsically different from the rest: The inscriptions and images engraved on it were different. The political system it represented – different. Its monetary value – different. Even the culture and value system of the people it represents, different. Yet there it was, in my hand.

As I reflect on Dr. Munroe’s words about the keys to the Kingdom and citizenship, this moment comes back to my mind. Because ultimately, I believe that we are called to be like that penny: to bear His image and inscription, to take on His value system, and to somehow mysteriously be a carrier of the Presence of Jesus in the world. The real key is to love God and love people as often as we have the opportunity, even when most of those opportunities just feel like conflict, opposition, and painful sacrifice. As he says – and I paraphrase – the way we live will show that we are citizens of the Kingdom.

Blessings,

Andre